{"id":23566,"date":"2019-01-26T07:59:24","date_gmt":"2019-01-26T05:59:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/smile4travel.de\/?p=23566"},"modified":"2020-01-26T03:30:48","modified_gmt":"2020-01-26T01:30:48","slug":"koh-yao-noi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/smile4travel.de\/en\/asia\/thailand-en\/koh-yao-noi\/","title":{"rendered":"Koh Yao Noi: Island getaway between Phuket & Krabi"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u00b4s December, cold and damp weather, short days and long nights define the annual rhythm. Desire for warming sunrays, fine sand underneath my toes and shady palmtrees comes up in me \u2013 the thought of Southeast Asia with its beautiful beaches arises. Thailand<\/a> comes into my head \u2013 a travel destination, which we\u00b4ve neglected so far, even if Thailand seems to fulfill everyone\u00b4s dreams: from backbackers to luxury travelers, adventurers or beach lovers. But somehow Thailand has never made it to the top of our bucketlist. It seems nearly every friend and traveler has been there already and feels excited about the country. But are there still hidden gems, or does tourism already dominate the country? Especially now, in December, Thailand\u00b4s peak season. The first research for accomodation seems to confirm: Nearly impossible to find a quiet spot. But the idea of discovering Thailand stays on my mind. Thailand is well known for its beautiful beaches and a great dive destination. Phuket can be reached by direct flight from Shanghai and so does the cultural mekka Chiang Mai in the country\u00b4s North. So why not treat yourself? Diving around the Similan Islands<\/a> has for long been on my mind and the countless temples and mountains around Chiang Mai as well. So there would only be a getaway missing in between, a small idyll, where we can avoid the mass tourism around Phuket. Can this work, especially during the peak season between December and February? Thailand is good for surprises. This I\u00b4ve learned after an amazingly relaxing Yoga retreat on the party island Koh Phanghan<\/a> last year. So let\u00b4s start researching!<\/p>\n

\"Phang<\/p>\n

I come across Koh Yao Noi and Koh Yao Yai. Two islands, I havent\u00b4t heard of before, even if they are located in the middle of the Ao Phang-Nga Marine Nationalpark, just between Phuket and Krabi. The Phang Nga Bay with its spectacular limestones rising up from crystal clear waters, would also be a destination worth travelling. But besides the impressive scenery also pictures of the overcrowded \u201eJames Bond Island\u201c and countless tourists arriving by speedboats come into my mind. This is not the Thailand I want to experience, even knowing it\u00b4s the sad reality nowadays. So I dive a little deeper into my reasearch of Koh Yao Noi and Koh Yao Yai. And the longer I spent reading about these two islands, the clearer it gets: The Koh Yao islands surprisingly don\u00b4t seem te be as popular, even if both can be reached nice and easy from Phuket and Krabi. And both islands promise to offer great views of the Ao Phang Nga Nationalpark, as they are actually part of it.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

If you are looking for the most beautiful white-sanded beaches, maybe Koh Yao Noi and Koh Yao Yai are not the islands you are looking for. And maybe this is the reason, why they aren\u00b4t as polular as Koh Phi Phi, Koh Lanta or Krabi. The tides dominate the island life as well. So it is normal that the water stays away from the beach for half the day. Nothing travellers seeking for the ultimate beach holiday would be happy with. But therefore the beaches on Koh Yao Noi and Koh Yao Yai are wilder, more lonesome and unique.<\/p>\n

\"Koh\"Koh<\/p>\n

Furthermore Koh Yao Noi and Koh Yao Yai are predominantly muslim islands, which means the locals are not interested in mass tourism, instead trying to keep the island\u00b4s authentic vibe. The owner of our guesthouse once wispered to us, after we\u00b4ve been flying our drone along the beach: \u201eBut please don\u00b4t promote our island too much. We want to preserve its idyll!\u201c. Not a common statement of someone, whose life is dependant on tourism. But exactly this distinguishes the Koh Yao islands: Their tranquility and easiness, not seeking for the bigger, seems to be the key to the islanders contentedness.<\/p>\n

\"Koh \"Koh\"Suntisook\"Koh<\/p>\n

\n

Inhaltsverzeichnis | Table of Contents<\/p>\n